Transposing-piano.



W. E. HOLDEN.

TRANSPOSING PIANO. APPLICATION FILED Aue.9, 1913.

1,236,435, Patented Aug. 14,1917.

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W. E. HOLDEN.

TRANSPOSING PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9,1913.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

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W. E, HOLDEN.

TRANSPOSING PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED 11116.9, 1913- 1 ,2 3 6,43 5 Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

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W A M PW Atto'f'fb ll' UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

WILLIAM EWART HOLDEN, OF TAKAPUNA, NEAR AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, ASSIGNOR 0F TWO-THIRDS TO THE NATIONAL PIANO COMPANY, LIMITED, OF AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, A CORPORATION OF NEW ZEALAND.

TRANSPOSING-PIANO.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, WILLIAM EwaR'r I-IoLDnN, a subject of His Majesty the King of the'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, resident of Takapuna, near the city of 'iuckland, in the Provincial Dlstrlct of Auckland and Dominion of New Zealand, have invented new and useful Improvements in Transposing-Pianos, of which the followingis a specification.

The object of this invention is to enable a piano, whether overstrung, vertlcally strung, or obliquely strung, to be played 111 any one of twoor more pitches as may be desired, accordingto the provision made in each particular: case as to the number of pitches obtainable.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation (shown broken) of the upper portion of an overstrung piano with the front removed, showing the action carriage specially mounted, and part of theaction mounted therein, also the positions, of extrastrings, and the position of the means for moving the action carriage and key frame.

I Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the bearingused in mounting the key frame on the key bed. v j 0 Fig. 3 showsin plan a means for moving the key frame and action carriage.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of one end of the action carriage showing the fixed bar or rail for mounting the dampers independently of the rest of the action, the bar or rail passing through the end of theaction carriage and being secured permanently to the end of the piano. I

Fig. 51s a cross section of the action car riage and key frame.

Fig. 6 illustrates the positions of the eX- j tra strings, andthe system of tuning employed in a four pitch piano, having a .break or space occurring in the stringing.

The action 1 is of the usual type and is mounted within the .action carriage 2, so as to be removable therefrom as a whole by disengaging the fastenings 2 The action carriage is mounted on and secured permanently to the back ra1l 2 of the key frame .7, and is guided and kept rigid in its longitudinal movement by the brackets 6 sliding on thehorizontalrods 5 attached to the sides 3 and 4 of, the .plano.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

Application filed August 9, 1913. Serial No. 783,872.

The key frame 7 is mounted on the key bed 8 by special bearings 9 in the front rail 7 and the back rail 2. These bearings 9 (Fig. 2) while insuring rigidity of the key framepermit of the necessary longitudinal movement of the action carriage and keyframef The thumbscrews 5 provide means whereby the action carriage 2 and the key frame 7 may be locked against movement when the piano is being moved about or transported, also the two sets of brackets 6 to each rod 5 are necessary to insure the rigidity of the carriage.

The keys 9 are mounted on the key frame 7 and operate the action 1 in the usual manner, the end keys 9 being wider than the intermediate keys so as to leave no space between the key board and the sides 3 and 4 when the keys are moved.

The mounting of the key frame 7 on the key bed 8 is by the special bearings 9 (Fig. 2). These bearings 9 are'equally spaced along the front rail 7" and the back rail 2 of the key frame 7 and are constituted as shown in Fig. 2. Each bearing consists of rollers 42 journaled in either rail 7 a or 2 and the key bed 8 as shown, and a wearing plate 43 on the under surface of the rail 7 tion excepting'the damper is mounted in the usual way on the action rail 18 and the rail 18 is supported in the end supports 56 (Fig. 1), so that the hammer action is removable as a wholefrom the action carriage 2.

In Figs. 1, 4 .and 5 the action rail 18 is supported inthe supports 56, but instead of the dampers 19 being mounted on the action rail 18, they are mounted on an independent rail 57 which latter passes freely through each end of the actioncarriage as illustrated in Fig. 4 and is secured permanently tothe piano sides 3 and 4. The damper spoons 59 actuate the damper tails 60 in the same way action within the action carriage 2, the ac- .as before, but when the action carriage 2 is moved the dampers 19 remain stationary, and the rest of the action by reason of being mounted on the action rail 18 which travels with the action carriage 2, moves also and the damper spoons 59 shift from one damper tail to another.

The dampers operate on the same strings or sets of strings comprising note units each time and are not removable with the remainder of the action from the action carriage, also a damper is provided to each string, or set of strings, requiring a damper, independently of the number of hammers. The extra rail 57 on which the dampers 19 are mounted does not interfere with the movement of the action carriage in any way, slots 58 (Figs. 4 and 5), being provided in the actionv carriage ends.

In Fig. 3 is shown a means for moving the key-frame 7 and with it the action carriage; the means consist of toothed racks 59 secured underneath the key frame 7 and with which gear or mesh pinions 60 on the crank handle spindle 61. Means consisting of a hollow socket 62 with a groove or key way 63' cut therein, in which works a pin 64 on the spindle 61, and a ratchet wheel and pawl 65 for bringing the crank handle 66 back to and pushing same into the recess 67 to be out of sightwhen not required, are also provided. The handle 68 foldsagainst the crank 66 before beingpushed into the recess 67.

The extra stringing and the arrangement of tuned strings is a very material part of thisinviention, and is necessary to carry out the invention when it is applied to any piano where there is a break or space as before stated occurring in the stringing.

Referring to Fig. l which shows the break or space 7 O occurring in the stringingof an over-strung pianofoftwo pitches only, it will be seen that string 71 is hammerless'. This strin 71 is extra, that is to say, it is over and above the number of strings required in an ordinary or fixed pitch overstrung piano, and is tuned tothe same pitch as string 72 of the section 73 of strings.

Following on this, it will be seen that. if the hammers be shifted one string toward the right, (which equals a half tone), that string-72' will becomehammerless, and string 71that was hainmerlessfwill then be provided with a hammer and the result arising from this shiftin of the hammers along the strings is that the piano is enabled to be played in a pitch half a tone higher than before. v I p It will also be noticed that string 7 4 ofthe section 73 of strings is also hammerless,this string 74 is also extra, that is to say, it is necessary to take hammer 75 when the latter is moved along a string. String 74' istuned consecutively or half a tone higher than string 76 which would in a fixed or one itch piano be the last string of the section .3 of strings.

For each extra pitch it is desired to obtain on an instrument having breaks or spaces in the stringing, it is necessary that an extra string be placed in the break, and an extra string; be placed at one of the extreme ends of the ordinary stringing, as the case may be.

Referring to Fig. 6, the strin ing and tuning of a piano having four di erent pitches is illustrated. In the case of an, ordinary fixed or one pitch, piano string 78 would be the last stiin of section 7.8 of strings, and string 83 won (1 be the first string of the section 83* of strings. The extra strings placed in the break are strings 8Q, 81, 82, string 80 being tuned to the same pitch as string 83 string- 81 to the same pitch as string 34, an string 82 to the same pitch as string 85. \Vhen playing in the lowest itch, strings 80, 81, and 82 will be hammer and if the hammers be. shifted one string along the instrument toward the right,.theu strings 81', 82 and will he hammerless and the piano will beset to av pitch a hali tone hi her than before and so on, until strings 84 and 85 become hammerlem, and strings 80, 81., and 82 are provided with hammers when the instrument will be then set to the highest pitch obtainable, or a pimh three halfi tones higher than the lowest pitch, or when strings 80-, 8i, and 89 are hammerless. The three strin s 86,- 87 and 88 are also extra and are tuned consecutively at the upper end of the section 83 oi strings,- to enable the end hammers to. move up the three strings. It will also be obvious in this instance as well, that to transpose i'nianos where there ar no breaks or spaces occurring in the strin the extra strings are required only at either end of the ordmajry strings, they to be tuned consecutively and the to be determined according to how many pitches it is desirable should be obtainable an the instrument.

Having now fully described my invention, what- I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1'. Anupright transposin'g pianohaving a longitudinally movable key frame, a longitud nally movable action rail, carryin the hammers and hammer action, a longtudinali'y movable action carriage carrying the said action rail, a stationary damper rail, stationary dampers, and damper spoons movable with the hammer action.

2'. An upright transposing iano having a. longitudinally movable key aims, at longitudinally movable action carriage ca g the hammers and hammer action, sai action carriage being mounted on the key frame so as to move simultaneously with; a l 'tudinal hammer action rail carrying the aminers and hammer action,

mounted in said action carriage so as to be removable therefrom; a stationary damper rail carrying the dampers, and mounted between the piano sides; and damper spoons movable longitudinally of the piano simultaneously with the hammers and hammer action.

3. An upright transposing piano having a longitudinally movable key frame to which is attached a longitudinally movable action carriage, mounted on the keybed by means of bearings comprising an upper and a lower roller, an upper and a lower plate and screws passing through slots in the key frame rails, for clamping the upper plate to the key bed, said action carriage beingguided and kept rigid in its longitudinal movement by brackets on its top side Working on horizontal rods secured to the piano sides; a longitudinal hammer action rail carrying the hammers and hammer action removably secured in said action carriage; a stationary damper rail passing freely through the action carriage ends; dampers stationary against movement longitudinally of the piano, and damper spoons attached to the hammer action.

4. An upright transposing piano having a longitudinal key frame to which is attached a longitudinally movable action carriage carrying a longitudinally movable hammer action rail on which is mounted the hammers and hammer action; said hammer action rail, the hammers and the hammer action being removable as a Whole from said action carriage; a stationary damper rail mounted between the piano sides and passing freely through said action carriage ends; dampers stationary against longitudinal movement within the piano; damper spoons attached to the hammer action and movable from one damper tail to another and rack and pinion gear for imparting longitudinal movement to the key frame and action carriage.

5. An upright transposing piano having a longitudinally movable key frame to which is attached a longitudinally movable action carriage carrying a longitudinal hammer action rail on which are mounted the hammers and hammer action; said hammer action rail, the hammers and the hammer action being removable as a whole from said action carriage; a stationary damper rail passing freely through said action carriage ends; dampers stationary against longitudinal movement within the piano; damper spoons attached to the hammer action and movable from one damper tail to another, rack and pinion gear for imparting longitudinal movement to the key frame and action carriage; the stringing having a break and extra strings placed in said break.

WILLIAM EWART HOLDEN. Witnesses:

GEORGE WILLIAM BASLEY, MARY CHRIsTINA BRENNAN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

